Okay first of all, I was not expecting this to be so so heatbreaking, tear-jerking, dark and impossible to put down novel. This is such a big u-turn from the usual light and fast-paced read I was used to by R.S. Grey but then again, as always, Chasing Spring didn't disappoint.

From the blurb, I set my expectations to high because who won't when you have this:

I thought I’d left Blackwater, Texas behind for good. I didn’t belong in the small town, but my dad wouldn’t listen. He dragged me back home in his beat-up truck and dropped a bomb along the way: Chase Matthews was moving in with us. He was the golden boy of my high school, my former best friend, and the last person I wanted sleeping across the hall. His presence was too great a reminder of the ghosts I was trying to forget.

I didn’t ask for a hero. I don’t want to be saved.

To me, Lilah Calloway meant late nights sneakin’ out, moonlit hair, and sparklers in July. She was my best friend until the day she left and I’d assumed Blackwater had seen the last of her. Then, like a tempest, she rolled back into town for the final half of senior year. The chopped hair and dark devil-may-care attitude warned most people away, but I knew if I fought hard enough, I could find the lost girl.

I didn’t want to be her hero. Some girls don’t need to be saved.

The prologue was a 'I better prepare lots and lots of klennex, shut my bedroom door, lock it, in case someone walks in on me looking like I got just beaten by Ronda Rousey and probably might as well buy myself a wig in case I got fraustrated and rip my hair out'kind of thing. It was dark, powerful and ridiculously secretive.

The next few chapters put the prologue to shame

The book takes the reader to an emotional rollercoaster of dirty secrets, old foes and unspoken and complicated love. Lilah Calloway, for one, is a character I want to wrap my arms around but she probably would punch me in the face but that's okay, I'll still love her. Back on track, Lilah is an interesting and complex character to even begin with. I was so confused and fraustrated about her decisions at the start but as the story goes, I begin to understand why she did. She's still a girl trying to find herself in a society that is filled with fake smiles and empty words. Oh, and don't forget that she's probably the most stubborn character you'll ever encounter that you'll wish you can jump into the book and bitch-slap the shit out of her.

Now let's talk about Chase jaw-dropping, eye-popping Matthews.

Boy, oh boy, this piece of perfection is way way too good for anyone. Like Lilah, he came from a troubled family that caused him to move in to the Calloway household for a few months until they graduate. Chase is the kind of boy every girl crushes on and every boy's 'goals'. Chase and Lilah had some pretty quite history that cause them to play the game of 'I hate him so I'll avoid him 24/7, 365 days a year' which I find hilarious. Chase is probably the band aid for Lilah's broken heart and the bridge to moving on.

Chasing Spring is a freshing read from R.S. Grey's usual agenda but then again, it's dark, funny, honest and heartbreaking all combined into one. It covers the themes of moving on, love, finding yourself, friendship and family that perfectly manicures the reality of lost and heartbreak. I would definitely recommend this to absolutely anyone, boy or girl, big or small this is a must read and if I could give this book to the other seven billion people out there, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Once again, R.S. Grey, thumbs up and hands down to you. (I don't know how would you do that at the same time but we'll work it out)